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I Called This One a Looooong Time Ago

Google entering the corporate software market.  Actually this is a step toward what I’ve predicted will happen.  Currently, Google’s model is to host all of the information on their site.  Some companies will have an issue with this, which is reasonable. 

I’ve predicted Google’s ultimate objective will be to sell an appliance that runs inside the corporate intranet.  The hardware will be bought/leased from Google, and no corporate information will get past the company’s firewall.  Google will maintain and patch the appliance from Mountain View, so users will always have the most up to date versions with the latest patches.  This will free up IT departments to deal with other issues, like keeping Microsoft patched and secure.

The big gotcha here is that all the users need to run the software is a browser.  Enter simplified versions of opensource OS’s that do nothing but run a browser.  Google can take a big bite out of Microsoft, not necessarily by stealing market share, but by eliminating a large part of the office suite and operating system markets entirely.

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Possible Sunshine Law Violations in Knox County

Why freedom of the press works.

Basically, the Knoxville News Sentinel is sueing the Knox County Commission over the (aleged) backroom deals that occurred during the appointment of several replacements for term-limited commissioners.

The proposed agreement will force the Commission to hold the meeting again.  All appointments would be void and have to be repeated.

With the outcry against what happened here causing the commotion it did, the results should be very interesting.  Stay tuned!

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A New School…Hooray?

The News Sentinel has an article about the new Gibbs Elementary School today–citing it as a great thing for our community.  Uh…okay.

Don’t get me wrong…I’m aware that the people in my community, state, and nation can benefit infinitely by being educated.  I definitely see the social and economic benefits I can personally reap from living in an environment where everyone is educated.  I’ll even go so far to commit my own resources towards the education of the masses.

And because I believe strongly in these things…

I don’t like being FORCED to contribute an education system wraught with inefficiencies.

I don’t like being FORCED to contribute to an education system that is already failing. (See the State published results of its own test–Cs aren’t good enough, especially when you are in control of the test).

I don’t like being FORCED to contribute to an education system that does not allow parents to choose for their children which school/curriculum is best for their child.

I don’t like being FORCED to contribute to a system that is being held hostage by unions.

I don’t like being FORCED to contribute to a system that caters to the meaty part of the bell curve, pushing those who are either gifted or challenged to the middle.

It’s a nice story that fourth graders think their new school is cool, but all the new gyms and big cafeterias in the world do not fix the problems I’ve enumerated.